Axe d’étude 3 : Initiation, apprentissage

The bildungsroman: A novel of education

A bildungsroman, sometimes also called a novel of education is a novel or story in which the reader follows the protagonist as he grows up, evolves and overcomes obstacles. The story mostly focusses on the way the protagonist moves from innocence to experience and how he or she learns to find his or her place in the world.

Classic examples

Classic examples of novels of apprenticeship include Great Expectations (1861) by Charles Dickens or Tom Sawyer (1876) by Mark Twain.

The Catcher in the Rye

J. D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye (1951) depicts the anguish and the sense of alienation of a teenager. The main character, Holden Caulfield, after being expelled from his expensive prep school, wanders around New York. He strives to come to terms with what it means to grow up and be an adult. Most of the people he runs into or is acquainted with disappoint him. They are, in his own words, "phonies", in contrast with children whom he sees as innocent and needing protection from the world of adults.

Modern examples

More recently J.K. Rowling's The Harry Potter series (1997-2007) also fits into this genre. The series starts with Harry as a young boy and readers follow his adventures as he discovers who he truly is and what he can achieve.

In The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 ¾, (1982) by Sue Townsend, the teenage narrator gives readers a hilarious account of his daily life and how difficult it is to grow up and make sense of the world around him.

Coming of age stories in cinema

There are many example of coming of age stories in cinema as well. For example, Sean Penn's film Into the Wild (2007), tells the true story of a young man who was eager to prove that he could survive on his own away from anyone else in "the wild". Dead Poets Society (1989) directed by P. Weir focusses on a group of teenage boys at an elite private school whose perspective on life and education is shaken up by their new English teacher.

Musical representation

One of the Beatles most famous songs She is leaving home (1967) is about a teenage girl running away from home "after living alone for so many years". The song manages to express the girl's feelings, her frustrations with her home life and her hopes for the future. It also captured the mood of the 60s when many teenagers felt at odds with their parents and what was expected of them.

Literary perspectives on childhood and growing up

The continuity between childhood and adulthood

William Wordsworth explores the fundamental connection between our early years and adult identity in his famous line: "The child is father of the man" (My Heart Leaps Up, 1802). This paradoxical statement suggests that our childhood experiences shape and give birth to our adult selves.

The spirit of adventure in youth

Mark Twain captures the universal yearning for adventure that characterizes childhood: "There comes a time in every rightly-constructed boy's life when he has a raging desire to go somewhere and dig for hidden treasure" (Tom Sawyer, 1876). This observation highlights the natural curiosity and adventurous spirit that drives young people to seek excitement and discovery.

Adolescent identity and recognition

Louis Menand discusses the enduring appeal of classic literature to young readers: "Supposedly, kids respond to 'The Catcher in the Rye' because they recognize themselves in the character of Holden Caulfield" (The New Yorker, 2001). This recognition speaks to the universal nature of adolescent struggles with identity and belonging.

The painful loss of innocence

John Steinbeck provides a profound meditation on the moment when children lose their innocence: "When a child first catches adults out -- when it first walks into his grave little head that adults do not always have divine intelligence, that their judgments are not always wise, their thinking true, their sentences just -- his world falls into panic desolation. The gods are fallen and all safety gone. …. And the child's world is never quite whole again. It is an aching kind of growing" (East of Eden, 1952). This passage illustrates the painful transition from childhood trust to adult awareness of human fallibility.

The importance of personal growth over origins

J.K. Rowling emphasizes the significance of personal development over circumstances of birth: "You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be!" (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2000). This statement underscores the theme of self-determination and the power of choice in shaping one's character.

English Vocabulary List

This vocabulary list contains essential English words and expressions with their French translations, useful for understanding literary texts and expressing complex ideas.

Verbs and Actions

• to overcome : surmonter
• to strive (strove, striven) : s'efforcer de
• to come to terms with : accepter, comprendre
• to fit into : faire partie
• to achieve : accomplir
• to come of age : atteindre sa maturité
• to be shaken up : être bouleversé
• to catch (someone) out : voir quelqu'un tel qu'il est

Nouns and Expressions

• phonies : hypocrites
• an account : un récit
• the wild : en pleine nature
• the mood : l'état d'esprit

Adjectives and States

• eager : déterminé
• at odds : en conflit, en désaccord
• aching : douloureux